Only during a time when we have so little faith in one another, so little confidence in the willingness of others to do what is right, can a strong voice emerge to dispel disillusionment and show us hope. It takes a person of great courage, such as the Dalai Lama, to face these times and say there is hope.

There is an argument to be made for basic human goodness. The number of people who spend their lives being violent or dishonest is tiny compared with the number of people -- the vast majority we don't hear about -- who would wish others only well. According to the Dalai Lama, our survival has depended and will depend on our basic goodness. "Much more effective and important than legislation is our regard for one another's feelings at a simple human level....Here, I refer to the capacity we all have to empathize with one another...to arrive at the inability to bear the sight of another's suffering." The Dalai Lama presents an ethical system that not only is based on commonsense and reason, as opposed to religious dogma or punitive legislation, but has at its goal ultimate happiness for every individual.

The Dalai Lama demonstrates that human beings are better than we think we are, and that a society and a life that cultivate love and compassion are completely within our reach. If enough people operate from the understanding of their "original purity," a global revolution of peace will ensue. Download and start listening now!

Quotes & Awards

“The Dalai Lama, in this spiritually instructive and morally creative book, gently leads readers to envision and strive to build...a new wherein every sunrise promises increasing concord and peace.”

Los Angeles Times

“The Dalai Lama illustrates his argument with examples from his extraordinary life, showing the same humility and gentle self-deprecation that make him such a popular speaker and spiritual leader.”

San Francisco Chronicle

“Ethics for the New Millennium is good stuff about having the right stuff...The Dalai Lama’s optimism and courage may just be what the twenty-first century needs.”

San Diego Union-Tribune

“Like a merging of the care and compassion of Jesus, the cool rationality of the Stoics, the moral program of Ben Franklin, and the psychology of William James, Ethics for the New Millennium is a plea for basic goodness, a blueprint for world peace.”

Amazon.com editorial review

“With its disarmingly frank, kindly manner and authoritative air, the book is what one would expect from a Nobel Peace Prize winner”

Publishers Weekly

“The Dalai Lama examines the world, its ills, and its coming changes in a disarmingly conversational style that engages readers...In a world in which many historical boundaries are becoming irrelevant, he focuses upon the essential qualities of humanity that we all share and from which new forms of social organization can evolve. An important book for thoughtful teens to muse over.”

School Library Journal

“As His Holiness himself says, very little in this book is original. But his message is so often neglected that it sounds very fresh indeed.”

Kirkus Reviews

A New York Times bestseller

Listener Reviews

About the Author

His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, was born in 1935 to a peasant family in northeastern Tibet and was recognized at the age of two as the reincarnation of his predecessor. As the world’s foremost Buddhist leader, he travels extensively, speaking eloquently in favor of ecumenical understanding, kindness and compassion, respect for the environment, and world peace. He is the author of over seventy books and has received a number of awards, honorary doctorates, and other accolades for his work.

About the Narrator

B.D. Wong was born and raised in San Francisco, California. He made his Broadway debut in M. Butterfly. He is the only actor to be honored with the Tony Award, Drama Desk Award, Outer Critics Circle Award, Clarence Derwent Award, and Theater World Award for the same performance. He starred in the television series All-American Girl, and has made guest appearances on Sesame Street and The X-Files.

[ShoppingCartItemsAddedOnMerge] audiobook(s) were left in your cart from a previous visit, and saved to your account for your convenience. You may view or remove these audiobooks on the shopping cart page.